Mechanism for feeding boards to be printed



(No Model.)

A. H. WALKER.

MECHANISM FOR FEEDING BOARDS TO BE PRINTEi). No. 324,195. v PatentedAug.11,11885.

u, PETERS. Photo-Likrwgraphur. Wsfinflun, a e

UN TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT H. WALKER, OF BROOKLYN, YORK.

MECHANISM FOR FEEDING BOARDS TO BE PRINTED.

isPECIFIC ATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 324,195, dated August11, 1885.

Application in. August 12, 1884. (No modeh) In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of a portion of aprinting-machine embodying my improve ment. Fig. 2 is an elevation ofthe same taken on the lines so 00, and looking in the direction of thearrow, Fig. 1, showing certain parts in section; and Figs. 3 and 4 areviews of modifications thereof.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

The general construction of this printingmachine may be the same as thatshown and described in Letters Patent granted to V. F. \Vidmayer,December 25, 18. 7, and numbered 198,479, to which I refer, and I havetherefore chosen to illustrate such parts of said machine as embody myimprovement.

A designates the frame of the machine. B is a feed-dog adapted to feedthe boards to be printed forward. The said feed-dog, as shown, iscomposed of two portions secured together by screws in such manner as toform grooves extending in the direction of the length of the dog. Ribsor projections on the frame are shown as fitting in said grooves,bywhich the said dog is guided in its movements backward and forward. Theforward end of said feeddog has upon it a projection, a,which extendsslightly above the bed of the machine, and upon its under side adownwardly-extending portion, 1), near the lower extremity of which isan aperture, b,extending in the direction of the length of the machine.Passing loosely through this aperture is arod, 0. Near its forward endsaid rod is screw-threaded to receive a nut, c, which abuts against theface of the dog B. The extreme forward end of said rod is pivotallyconnected to one end of a pitman-rod, D. The other end of saidpitman-rod is pivotally connected to a crank, E, which is fast on ashaft, E, by which means motion is imparted to the parts.

Secured to the under side of the portion b of the dog B, I have shown aplate, (1, near the extremity of which is a downwardly-projectingshoulder, d. An aperture passes through the said shoulder, through whichpasses loosely the screw-threaded end of a hook, F. A nut, a is arrangedupon said hook, whereby the latter may be adjusted. I

have shown a rope or chain, G, attached at i one end to said hook andatthe other to a weight, H. The said rope or chain preferain contact withthe edge ofthe lowest board of the'pile which rests upon the bed of themachine, carries it forward from under the superposed boards and betweenthe rotary printing-roller J and pressure-roller K, where the same isprinted. The feed-dog then makes another backward excursion, a secondboard drops down in front of the projection a, and is in turn carriedforward like the first, and so on. The forward excursion of the feeddog,or the one which causes the forward movement of the board, is effectedby the descent of the weight H as fast as permitted by the nut c on therod 0, the said rod being moved forward by the crank E. The nut 0 thusprequite apt to ensue. By my improvement,should a stoppage of suchcharacteroecur, the rod 0 and the pitman I) may still continue theirforward movement.

in the modification of my improvement shown in Fig. 3 I have arranged asleeve, L, fitting between the nut c and the face of the iced-dog. Byusing sleeves ofdifferentlengths I am enabled to readily adjust thefeeding mechanism to feed boards of varying lengths.

In Fig. at l have shown the weight H as attached to one arm of abell-crank lever, 12, which is fulcrumed upon the frame A of themachine. To the other end of said bell-crank lever is pivotallyconnected oneend of a link, q, which link has its other end pivotallyconnected to the feed-dog. The forward excursion of the feed-dog iscaused by the operation of the said weight II through said lever andlink. By adjusting the weight upon the lever-arm the force wil h whichit operates may be varied.

I may use links of different lengths, and may thereby accommodate themachine to varying lengths of boards to be fed.

1. do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the use of myimprovement upon machines for printing boards and labels, as the sameisapplicable to other printing-machiues.

It will be observed that according to my improvement the crank E onlyimpels the feeddog 13 rearward] y. This crank does absolutely nothing,directly or indirectly, toward effecting the forward movement of thefeed-dog. So entirely independent of the crank is the feed-dog duringthe forward movement of the crank that should the feedalog be held backby any means the crank would move forward without exerting upon it theslightest tendency to move forward. The crank E may prevent the feed-dogfrom being moved forward too fast, but this is the only action it hasupon the feed-dog during its forward movement. The forward movement ofthe i'ecddog is effected wholly by the weight H, and the weight has noconnection whatever with the crank E or the rod 0 actuated thereby.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a printing-machine, the combination, with a feed-dog, of a crank,a rod connected with the crank, and provided with a projection forabutting against the feed-dog in order to move it rearwardly, and aweight having a connection with the feed-dog,butunconnected with saidrod and crank, except by the hearing the feed-dog has against saidprojection, and serving to move the fecddog forward, substantially asspecified.

2. In a printing-machine, the combination,

with a feed-dog, B, of a rod, 0, the nut c, a crank, E, for impartiugabackward movement to said. rod, the hook F, the rope or chain G, and theweight H, connected to the feed-dog for imparting a forward movement toit, substantially as specified.

A. II. \VALKER.

\VitnesseS:

T. J. KEANE. \VILLIAM G. Lirsnv.

